Discoveries
by Desaix
Summary: Tora discovers something out of his past...


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Ushio and Tora: Discoveries  
by David A. Tatum  
  
Disclaimer: The anime of Ushio and Tora (which I am basing this fanfic on)  
does not belong to me. According to the back of the box of my tapes, it  
was based on a manga by Kazuhiro Fujita (I should say the manga does not  
belong to me, as well, even though I'm not using it) and was produced by  
Toho Co., Shogakukan, Toshiba EMI, and OB Planning. The English Language  
versions are owned by ADV Films. This fanfic does not intend to claim any  
ownership over either the characters or the plot of Ushio and Tora.   
Rather, it is a tribute to it, a desire to continue the story as left at  
the end of Episode 10 of the anime (and one story from the SD Theater),  
and, if you will, free advertising for it.  
  
Author's Notes: Ya know, I've never been to a convention and not come back  
with a new anime to fanfic in. After my first convention (Katsucon 98), I  
returned with only a few things purchased. I have used the animes I  
purchased then, however, for either cameos (KOR in Patlabor: Personal  
Files) or crossovers (AD Police Files in How Do I File This One? and Maison  
Ikkoku in Not Interested...), and I also purchased my Oh, My Goddess set of  
tapes, which I recently started using in Language Lessons. The next con I  
went to, Otakon 98, I found a lot of Patlabor tapes and started Patlabor:  
Personal Files. The con after that, Nekocon 98, I found my Tylor Tapes,  
and have started Tylor's Fury. The con after that, Katsucon 99, I  
purchased my Bastard!! tapes and wrote Voluntary Imprisonment. Even for  
the little unofficial mini-con I helped organize at a friend's house,  
DaveCon (which we are now TRYING to turn into a real convention- it's too  
big a party for his house alone, and we'd need an actual hotel if we were  
to hold it again) I got myself hooked on Kenshin (in the set-up for the  
con, and not actually at it) and started Guide in the Wilderness and an  
untitled lemon (probably will be titled Sword Practice when it goes out to  
the RAAC). Well, I just came from Otakon 99, and brought back with me the  
five Ushio and Tora tapes. Since they were the ONLY tapes I purchased at  
Otakon, and I didn't really get a chance to see that much anime (well, I  
DID get to see the Tylor movie, Tylor's War, on the big screen. That was  
fun!)  
  
Chronological Notes (kept separate for those people who NEVER read author's  
notes):  
Set after Episode 10 of the anime... The only one of the SD Theater  
stories I MIGHT include mention of would be the one with the kitten, but I  
doubt I will.  
  
On with the story...  
-------------------------  
  
"So," Asako said as she and her best friend started walking back from the  
last day of school before the break. "Are you all packed and ready to go  
on the trip to my grandparents tomorrow, Mayuko?"  
  
"Yeah... I can't believe we're going back, though- it wasn't that long ago  
that we went. And after what happened last time, I'm surprised you WANT to  
go back so quickly," Mayuko answered.  
  
Asako smiled. "Ah, it wound up being a nice time, after all. I mean, I  
made a new friend and had lots of fun before the... incident. Actually, my  
grandparents asked that I and Ushio come back, for some reason- they said  
that there was something they wanted us to look into."  
  
Mayuko smirked. "And I bet you enjoyed showing off in a swimsuit for  
Aotsuki, and being carried back home by him after you were beached."  
  
"Mayuko!" Asako cried, blushing.  
  
"Why aren't you nicer to him, anyway?"  
  
Asako's blush grew. "Well, I... he... he's a jerk. I couldn't even begin  
to put up with him if it weren't for the fact that we've known each other  
so long."  
  
"But you DO put up with him," Mayuko said, giggling. "And you're  
embarrased."  
  
"Why are you asking me all this?" Asako growled. "It's none of your  
business, anyway!"  
  
Mayuko's face got serious. "Of course it's my business," she said.   
"You're my friend, and so is he. I'd like all of my friends to get along  
with each other- especially when two of them seem to have a crush on each  
other."  
  
"WHAT!? ME, HAVE A CRUSH ON HIM!? ARE YOU CRAZY!" Asako shouted.  
  
Pulling her fingers out of her ears, Mayuko smiled slightly. "No, I don't  
think so. Not when you were moping about the entire time he was gone with  
that mysterious girl."  
  
Asako frowned, calming down a bit. "I was just worried about him- I've  
known him for a long time, you know. It's not like him to just disappear  
for a week like that."  
  
"And the fact that it was a beautiful woman he went off with had absolutely  
NOTHING to do with it?"  
  
"No!"  
  
Mayuko smiled. "So you wouldn't mind if I took him?"  
  
"No. Go right ahead," Asako said flippantly. Quietly, she continued, "He  
likes you better, anyway."  
  
Not so quiet that Mayuko couldn't hear her, though. "You think he likes ME  
better? Are you kidding?" She laughed. "We hang out together a bit more  
than usual, but that's because of Tora, not him."  
  
"Tora? What- or who- is Tora?"  
  
Mayuko blushed. "Oh, I shouldn't be saying anything about that. You'll  
have to ask him yourself." She smiled again. "He likes you more than  
me... though he seems to like both of us rather well. I'm pretty sure,  
though, he would rather be yours than mine."  
  
"Like I'd want him!" Asako denied, blushing. "Excuse me, I have to finish  
packing, myself."  
  
Mayuko giggled. "Sure, sure, Asako. I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Bye, Mayuko." She ran off, only to be greeted at home by her father.  
  
"Hey, Asako! What's with the red face?"  
  
"What red face?" she exclaimed.  
  
"You're blushing so bad one would think you'd caught a boy peeping at you  
today! Who was it- Ushio?"  
  
"What!" Asako screeched, her face getting redder. Knocking the annoying  
person away, she cried, "Dad! Shut up! I've gotta go pack."  
  
Recovering slightly, he smiled. "Don't forget your swimsuit! Make it your  
red one- I'm sure all the guys on the beach will appreciate it!"  
  
"Daaaaad!"  
  
*****  
  
"And we're going back there for WHAT reason, exactly?" Tora growled,  
picking up a camera with one of his paws and examining it.  
  
"It's called 'fun,' Tora," Ushio said, reclaiming the camera forcefully and  
stuffing it into his suitcase. "I like swimming, playing at the beach, and  
having parties with friends. So do the girls. Besides, I was invited...  
and Asako's family pretty much treats me as one of their own."  
  
The only word that seemed to catch in the monster's mind was 'girls,' and  
that gave him certain ideas. "Ah! It's a mating ritual for you humans,  
isn't it?"  
  
"What!?" Ushio cried. He put his hand on the Beast Spear, but wasn't sure  
if he should pull it out- after all, was this an offense worthy of its use?  
  
"Bah," Tora complained. "You humans have such complex mating rituals that  
it hurts my head to even think about it. I don't understand why you don't  
just take this Asako girl you hang around with and be done with it?"  
  
"What? I never said I liked Asako!" Ushio stammered.  
  
"Then maybe you're more interested in that Mayuko girl- though if you ask  
me, she's too good for you- the first future meal I've had which was kind  
enough to feed me with no strings attached. I might not even eat her,  
after all- just the rest of you stupid humans."  
  
"Idiot!" Ushio roared, bashing Tora with the spear. "You aren't going to  
be eating ANY humans if I have anything to say about it!"  
  
Tora snarled, crying, "What did I do!?" Recovering, though, the monster  
sighed. "I'm just saying you humans make mating all too complicated. Us  
monsters have it easy- the first time we meet an unattached monster of the  
opposite sex, the powers that control the spirits of this world join us  
together- our bodies are altered slightly so that we look... somewhat  
similar, and we are bonded for life."  
  
"Ha! The ease of it all hasn't seemed to do YOU any good! I certainly  
don't see YOU with a mate!" Ushio shouted.  
  
Tora froze for a moment, and Ushio began to wonder if he'd gone too far.   
It almost seemed as if the monster was nearly in tears...  
  
"I had a mate, once," Tora finally said. "She disappeared about a hundred  
years before I fought that battle against your ancestor. I have no idea if  
she's still alive or dead, or what she has been doing since I last saw her.  
Perhaps... perhaps that is one of my regrets."  
  
"Tora..." Ushio said.  
  
"Take it from me, kid," the monster said. "Don't waste your time with  
whoever it is you want as your mate. You never have as much time with them  
as you want."  
  
"I... thanks."  
  
Tora flinched, startled. "What am I doing?!" he cried. "I'm not supposed  
to be HELPING you- I'm supposed to be trying to eat you!"  
  
Ushio growled, wielding the Beast Spear expertly. "Oh? Are you sure you  
want to try that?"  
  
*****  
  
Hyou, the monster hunter and seal magician by trade, studied the news  
clipping he had in his hand. A number of deaths caused by some sort of  
unknown animal had been reported in the area. This time, he would be  
certain that the monster had just THREE claws, and he would give it SOME  
chance to try and convince him that it was not the beast which had murdered  
his family. Assuming, of course, that it LET him give it a chance- some  
monsters would attack without allowing a person to speak.  
  
All of them were concentrated around some beach- a beach which, only a few  
months before, had been awfully close to where a number of ships and boats  
had been disappearing. Those disappearances, though, which had been  
happening quite often for several years, suddenly stopped... and then,  
about a week later, the first of these mysterious animal attacks occured.  
  
Several more happened later on, until finally it caught the attention of  
the press- and once it had caught the attention of the press, Hyou found  
out about it. He had been in a different country at the time, and it took  
some time for him to get there- first, he had to find out where it was only  
going by the newspaper accounts, and then he had to find a plane to Japan.   
That part of the trip was complete, however.  
  
There still was some delay, though- namely, finding a train from Downtown  
Tokyo to Yonami Station, but that could be settled rather quickly. Soon,  
very soon, he might have his revenge.  
  
*****  
  
Asako's grandfather and grandmother sat together, cooking their own dinner  
after a long day of business.  
  
"Are you sure that we should involve them?" the grandmother said. "I mean,  
they're so young."  
  
The grandfather nodded. "There's really only one of them I think could  
help us- young Ushio. He's the one who rescued Asako last time she was  
here... but for some reason, I get the feeling that all of them are needed  
for this."  
  
"But we're risking his life- and the life of our own little granddaughter!   
Is it right for us to bring them here without telling them about the risks  
they'll be taking and the danger we're sending them into?"  
  
"Oh, it isn't that bad- whatever it is hasn't struck at a large group of  
people yet. It's safer for Asako and Ushio to come with a number of other  
people, and they'll all be perfectly safe staying here with us until we  
decide how to deal with this... thing."  
  
The grandmother thought for a moment. "I guess we really don't have any  
other choice, do we?"  
  
"No. I'm sorry, but this is all we can do."  
  
"Well, then," she said, standing up and starting out the room. "If we're  
going to be bringing them to what may be their final resting place, we  
should at least let them have a decent place to sleep at night. I'm going  
to go fix their rooms."  
  
The grandfather caught her by the skirt as she started to pass by. "Don't  
give up on them so quickly. Ushio surprised me last time he was here...  
but now, I don't think I would be surprised at anything he might  
accomplish. He's become an awfully good boy... and I think he's strong  
enough to handle this."  
  
The grandmother nodded. "I certainly hope so... and I also hope that he's  
powerful enough to protect the rest of those poor children, as well."  
  
  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Sir Desaix, member # 116 of the Knights of the True Fiancee  
desaix@sysnet.net  
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7872  
fanfics available at   
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7872/fanfics.htm 


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